One of the world’s greatest orchestras, the Cleveland Symphony, is going to peform Howard Shore’s “Lord of the Rings” symphony next February. [More] Thanks to Mary for the news!
Day: February 15, 2005
Unlike “Star Trek” (which is real, of course), “The Lord of the Rings” has inspired many a fantasy costume since J.R.R. Tolkien’s mythic saga was first published in 1954. During the ’60s, there was even an attempt by the Beatles to film “LOTR” starring John Lennon as Gollum, George Harrison as the wizard Gandalf, Paul McCartney as Frodo and Ringo Starr as Frodo’s sidekick Sam. Decades later, Peter Jackson secured the movie rights, and the rest is history, or rather, fantasy. “The One Ring Celebration” last month at the Pasadena Center gave fans the opportunity to dress as hobbits, wizards, orcs and dwarves, with no fear of being institutionalized. [More]
There would be no “Lord of the Rings’ without motion capture. Take away the digital noise suppressors used to clean up the background sounds of classic Disney films, and your treasured copy of “Bambi’ wouldn’t sound nearly as clean. There’s a complicated and highly technical process by which the noise removal is made possible, but as honoree Steven E. Boze said Saturday night during the 75th annual Oscars Scientific and Technical Awards, “All you really need to know is that it makes it sound better.” [More]
Sir Ian McKellen has said he will return to the London stage as a pantomime dame next Christmas. The actor told BBC One’s Breakfast that he plans to reprise his role as Window Twankey at the Old Vic theatre, where Kevin Spacey is artistic director. “The widow has hung up her boobs for the rest of the year but she’s going to take them down again because she had such a good time,” said McKellen. [More]
Two new DVDs for you to gander this Tuesday, first up is the ‘Tarantino-esque’ Elijah Wood film ‘Chain of Fools’, then be sure to check out Ian Holm as the White Knight in ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ (featuring Kate Beckinsdale as Alice!) [More]